Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing
Race Info:
Race: Drydene 400
Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 6/2:30 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 400 laps/400 miles
Track Shape: Oval
Track Length: 1 mile
Banking: 24 degrees
2018 Winner: Chase Elliott
Express Notes:
Press Kit: Download the 2019 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.
Roval Recap: Denny Hamlin will advance to the Round of 12 in NASCAR’s Playoffs after finishing 19th on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval course Sunday. The race on the road course-oval hybrid was a wild one, with 10 caution flags, including two for wrecks that involved Hamlin. The #11 team had to start their back-up FedEx Freight Toyota after a Friday practice crash, requiring Hamlin to drop to the rear for the initial green flag. While the car showed speed, multiple incidents on track kept knocking Hamlin back in the field, including a multi-car wreck during Stage 1 and another in Stage 3. The race was red-flagged with only seven laps remaining to clean up fluid on the track. When it finally returned to green, Hamlin was able to gain multiple positions to cross the line in 19th.
Dover International Speedway Preview: The Series returns to Dover International Speedway for Sunday’s 400-mile race around the “Monster Mile.” The race marks a career milestone for Hamlin: his 500th Cup series start. A win would be Denny’s first career victory at Dover and would be the team’s fifth win of the 2019 season.
Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Dover International Speedway
Races: 27
Wins: 0
Poles: 3
Top-5: 4
Top-10: 11
Laps Led: 276
Avg. Start: 10.6
Avg. Finish: 17.5
Hamlin Conversation – Dover:
How do you feel about how the team wrapped up the Round of 16?
“Early on in the Playoffs, our biggest focus was to just not make a big mistake. We had to survive, and we did. At the Roval, we just had a bunch of things working against us. We started the back-up car, and we got caught up in some wrecks that caused some damage. But we had a good enough cushion that it didn’t hurt us and we were able to move on.”
What is your FedEx Racing team’s focus as you return to Dover and move deeper into the Playoffs?
“Dover is probably my Achilles’ heel. We’ve run top five there, so we do have some success. But that first win continues to elude us. It’s the most physically demanding track we go to and, to me, the most mentally demanding. We just want to stay focused and keep pushing to climb up the leaderboard. We’ll take time this week to prepare and come out on Sunday ready to race.”
FedEx Express Along for the Ride at Dover: FedEx Express recognizes the employees at the MCNA station in Macon, Ga., for their dedication to People Service Profit and commitment to the Purple Promise by featuring the letters MCNA on the B-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota at the Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway. Located in “The Heart of Georgia,” the MCNA team is especially proud to serve its military customers and the local community that supports the military.
